Thirteenth World Conference

The Lives to Come

Massimiano Bucchi

He has published eight books, including Science and the media (London and New York, Routledge, 1998), Science in society. An Introduction to Social Studies of Science (London and New York, Routledge, 2004), Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology (with B. Trench, 2008), Beyond Technocracy. Citizens, Politics, Technoscience (New York, Springer, 2009) and several essays in international journals such as History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, Nature, New Genetics and Society, Science and Public Understanding of Science.

He chairs the scientific committee of non profit center Observa Science in Society and is a member of the International Scientific Committee for Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST); he has also served as advisor and evaluator for several research and policy bodies, including the US National Science Foundation, the Royal Society and the European Commission.

He has carried out research and given seminars at several international institutions, such as the Royal Society, London School of Economics, University of California Berkeley, Royal Academy of Sciences Sweden, Science University Tokyo, Rikken Institute, American Association for the Advancement of Science and received several recognitions for his work, including the Mullins Prize awarded by the Society for Social Studies of Science (1997) and the Merck-Serono jury award for science books (2007).

He sits in the Programme Committee supervising the organization of the next European Science Forum (2010) in Torino and chairs the Committee organizing the 2012 World Conference on Public Communication of Science in Technology in Florence.

He contributes regularly to the science and technology pages of newspapers La Stampa and Sole 24 Ore.

Webpages: www.soc.unitn.it/sus/mb.htm www.scienceinsociety.eu

Bioethics in public perception and media coverage

Bioethical issues have increasingly become a focus of public attention and debate. Prominent discussions and significant media coverage characterise themes like embryo stem cells research, end of life decisions, assisted reproduction, DNA tests.

But what are the main trends in public perception?
Is a real Science/Society divide actually coming about on these and similar themes? What are the key points for public concerns and expectations?
Which dominant frames emerge in terms of media coverage? Is there such a ‘thing’ as ‘Bioethics’ in the public mind?
Using recent and longitudinal data from the Science in Society and the Science in the Media Monitor, the presentation will address these and other related questions.